April 16, 2019
A team of researchers has succeeded in developing a prototype of a heart printed in 3D, from human cells. A great hope for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, the main cause of death in industrialized countries, and in particular for heart transplants.
A 3D printed heart the size of a rabbit heart
If the heart transplant is nowadays more and more often performed, the risks of rejection of the transplant remain a major concern, in addition to the lack of donors. This feat carried out by a team of Israeli researchers from Tel Aviv University and published on April 15 in the journal Advanced Science, therefore represents a ” major breakthrough In this area: they have indeed succeeded in developing a prototype heart 3D printed from cells taken from the patient’s tissue.
” We print a whole heart that is completely biocompatible with the patient and will not elicit an immune response »Explains Professor Tal Dvir, one of the researchers. But for now, the printed heart remains tiny, ” the size of a rabbit’s heart », 20 mm high by 14 mm in diameter, and cannot yet beat like a real heart. They should be initially grafted onto animals.
A “patch” to treat patients waiting for a heart transplant
While waiting to be able to transplant a whole 3D printed heart one day, the researchers’ goal is to be able to treat patients awaiting heart transplants, through ” vascularized heart patches that perfectly match the anatomical structure, as well as the biochemical and cellular components of any individual », To be transplanted to the diseased heart to help regenerate it.
” When full integration into the host begins, biomaterials gradually degrade, leaving a functional living space that regenerates the heart. »Explain the scientists. These patches could also according to them ” allow drug testing on an appropriate anatomical structure “.
Aurélie Giraud
Read also : The transplant: how do you replace an organ?
